Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Over 96,000 people trained as Yoga Instructors and Trainers under Skill India Mission
Top 5 states with the highest number of skilled yoga candidates are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha
In a bid to promote yoga for stress management and holistic physical and mental well-being, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  organized a webinar on Friday to celebrate the sixth International Yoga Day. With the chosen theme of B&WSSC ‘Say Yes to Yog and No to Rog’, the webinar was conducted in the august presence of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of living; Dr. Hansaji Yogendra, Director, the Yoga Institute and Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Moderated by Ms. Monica Bahl, CEO, Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council , the webinar aimed at driving wider awareness regarding the benefits of yoga in improving physical fitness and mental agility and encourage more people to embrace yoga especially in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
Apart from helping people understand the role of Yoga in overcoming anxiety and stress, the webinar also educated people about the various career opportunities available in the field of Yoga for youth. As a result of Skill India’s sustained efforts to help youth leverage various employment opportunities available in the field of yoga, over 96,196 candidates have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers across the country through different skilling initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana , primarily Recognition of Prior Learning , Short Term Training  & Special Projects. There are three specific courses for yoga - Yoga Instructor , Yoga Trainer 
and Senior Yoga Trainer . Some significant partners who helped the Ministry and the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council  reach this remarkable milestone are, Art of Living and Patanjali. The states with the highest number of skilled candidates are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal. B&WSSC also has vocational education courses in Yoga for CBSE schools starting from class XI from academic year 2020-2021, B&WSSC’s Yoga job roles will also be available in all the Samagra Shiksha schools across all the states for its Higher Secondary Sections.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of living, said “Yoga is not only about spirituality; It is a skill in itself and is in fact related to an industry. The significance of yoga has become all the more crucial in the current time as people across the globe are dealing with the various challenges posed by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. We all must embrace yoga at these trying times as it helps enhance our mental agility and vitality, making us a lot calmer and more composed. Yoga is not just a posture; yoga is a style of living.”
“Thanks to the efforts of the MSDE, aligned with PM Modi’s vision to make yoga a part of everyone’s life, yoga has reached even the hinterlands of India. People in even the remote corners of the country are learning yoga through Kaushal Vikas Kendras. Skill development is going on in full swing in the whole country and yoga has become a great career choice for the youth,” added Gurudev.
Emphasizing on the need for yoga instructors and trainers in the country, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said, “Yoga is an invaluable gift to the world from
India that has roots in our ancient Vedic traditions. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has also stated that yoga has emerged as one of the biggest mass movements in the quest for good health and well-being across the globe in the last few years. Aligned with his vision, we have been working closely with Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council  to build awareness regarding various career prospects in the field of yoga and encourage youth to embrace yoga for a promising future. In a post COVID-19 era, I foresee an urgent need of skill sets enhancement of the potential workforce with a surge in demand for certified yoga instructors and trainers. We are committed towards our vision to make yoga truly global and empower youth across the country to explore lucrative career opportunities in the field of yoga.”
Highlighting the benefits of yoga, Dr. Hansaji Yogendra said, “On the occasion of International Yoga Day we discussed the growing need of skill development in India and how Yoga has paved a pivot role in bringing the much needed change in society around health and wellness. In current pandemic of COVID as well Yoga has been the most wonderful tool to fight this disease and build stinger immunity.
Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council  under National Skill Development Corporation, the implementing body of the MSDE, has collaborated with many corporate and organizations to expand their outreach in skilling candidates under the yoga job role. The partnership includes with companies like CIDESCO International, White Lotus and International Yoga Alliance. B&WSSC has also signed an MoU with The Yoga Institute in the august presence of Dr H R Nagendra and Dr. Hansaji for skilling of Indian youth in Yoga.